The COO leads operations at a museum, managing facilities, security, and technology to enhance visitor and employee experiences, ensuring a strong operational foundation across all sites.
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is an exciting moment to join a growing leadership team. We are building up our team to better support our ambitious goals across the museum’s three sites.
The COO serves as part of SAM’s Senior Leadership team advocating and supporting the institution’s mission, vision, and values setting institutional goals above departmental goals. They are a reliable, valued, and trusted senior leader who provides thoughtful analysis, thinks strategically and wholistically, and engages with staff at all levels of the organization. The COO provides oversight and leadership to the Operations division, comprised of the Facilities, Security, and Technology Departments. Lead business operation functions of the museum, including facilities, engineering, security, IT, and AV and is responsible for managing operations at all three museum sites as well as real estate interests. The ideal candidate thrives at the intersection of culture and compliance, drawing on organizational mission and values to design and deliver an exceptional guest and employee experience.
This role is charged with developing and implementing a dynamic vision and operating plan for the Operations Division that enhances the visitor, employee, volunteer, and community experience while building resilience, quality and accountability within museum systems. The COO should develop strategic plans that inspire employees, engage community and support museum goals and ensure operations of the three museum sites are foundationally strong and operate as a well-oiled machine of people, policies, and infrastructure while integrating operations within the wider goals of the institution, building strong intradepartmental working relationships to help balance museum priorities. This role provides leadership and mentoring to a large team overseen by three direct reports: Director of Facilities, Director of Security, and Director of Technology.
ABOUT SAM
As SAM heads into its second century, we are boldly reimagining what we can and should be. Our goal is to be a model for the future of museums - a bold, dynamic hub of creativity, belonging, and cultural leadership, shaping the future of art and community. Embracing new ways of engaging communities and seeking innovative partnerships - all while keeping art and community at the center of what we do. This ambitious effort represents a transformative shift and radically redefining how art museums operate. This is a pivotal moment for SAM, and we are seeking great talent to join us on our journey. Working at SAM is not just a job—it's a chance to be part of a vibrant, creative community.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Directly lead efforts for the creation of annual division operating, capital, and compensation budgets, monitor and track performance towards these targets, and adjust when necessary
- Plan for capital projects across all three departments, ensuring appropriate operational design considerations and consistency of infrastructure components across all sites
- Be a visible and collaborative leader in the local Seattle community; develop and support reciprocal relationships with key stakeholders and partners
- Oversee Emergency Operations, Infectious Disease and Pandemic Response, and Business Continuity plans, and implement them when required
- Participate in the Safety Committee, representing best practices and implementing safety programs
- Oversee facilities, engineering, office services, and environmental services management at all three sites, including daily and preventive maintenance programs, long-term maintenance programs and facility planning
- Develop long-term capital requirements for all locations
- Maintain a 24/7 security operation, including all staffing and related technology support
- Develop and maintain security protocols for all sites, hire and train staff, oversee disaster preparedness and coordinate activities across sites as well as with appropriate external parties
- Assist with CBA administration, serve as a key member of the negotiation team for CBA renewal
- Provide a comprehensive technology infrastructure supporting business operations
- Develop and implement policies, staying abreast of new and emerging technologies
- Support AV functions across internal and external programmatic needs
- Serve on Board Committees as assigned
- Represent museum at professional gatherings, and sector, civic, and cultural events
- Contribute to an institutional focus of delivering exceptional, welcoming, and inclusive customer service—creating positive, meaningful experiences for all visitors, every time
- Participate in institutional learning opportunities to grow our collective understanding and integration of antiracism, cultural competency, and equity values into SAM’s work
WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Twelve years directly related work experience including responsibility for providing broad oversight of financial, administrative and operations management, including eight years in a people management capacity
- Demonstrated leadership and experience in managing planning and decision-making processes
- Demonstrated ability to present clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations and the ability to conduct small & large group discussions
- Negotiation, project management, and problem-solving skills
- Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with Board members, donors, executives, management, employees, and the public
- Ability to motivate teams and simultaneously oversee several projects
- Strong track record in exercising sound, timely judgment
- Proactive, strategic, and professional verbal and written communication, with an ability to tailor communications according to audience
- Strong management and supervisory skills; ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage several projects
- Successfully assess priorities and work well with deadlines, exceptional time management, problem solving, and analytical skills
- Capacity to work with high levels of ambiguity or difficult situations
- Exercise discretion in maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, Asana, Slack and internet-based research
- Ability to pass and maintain security background check clearance
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in the non-profit sector, preferably arts & culture
- Experience negotiating and implementing collective bargaining agreements
FLSA Status: Full Time, Exempt
Reports To: Director of Facilities
Work Location: Onsite, Seattle Downtown
Benefits include a fully employer paid HMP medical plan or an employee contribution PPO plan, dental, vision, and basic life insurance/LTD/AD&D, Flexible Spending Account, Short Term Disability, Supplemental Dental Insurance and participation in SAM’s 403b retirement plan.
Following 1 year of service and 1,000 hours worked, SAM makes a discretionary 3% employer contribution regardless of participation and provides an employer match program. Historically, this contribution has been made annually. Additional benefits include paid time off for vacation, PSST, bereavement leave, and jury duty, 11 scheduled holidays, 1 paid floating holiday, a subsidized unlimited Orca card, onsite fitness facility, and an EAP. FT Staff also receive a Patron level membership to SAM, a Tier III membership to the American Alliance of Museums and discounts to museum shop and programming.
ACCOMODATION
The Seattle Art Museum will consider reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions/duties of this position. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation to best enable your success in the role, please discuss this possibility with a member of our HR team at [email protected].
Not sure you check every box? Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often only apply if they meet 100% of the criteria. If you believe you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply!
Top Skills
Asana
Microsoft Office Suite
Slack
Zoom
Seattle Art Museum Seattle, Washington, USA Office
1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA, United States, 98101
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